The Ordo Templi Orientis Phenomenon
The Caliphate

Compiled by Peter-R. Koenig

In 1977, a new American Ordo Templi Orientis, (O.T.O.), called Caliphate selfstyled itself to be the worldwide "Grand Lodge" when his protagonist Grady Louis McMurtry (1918–1985) signed a paper: "Let all Thelemites know that I, Hymenaeus Alpha, 777 IX° O.T.O., 9=2, Caliph of the Ordo Templi Orientis of Aleister Crowley, Baphomet, 666,
do hereby Charter Thelema Lodge as Grand Lodge of O.T.O.".
Its History is a Song of the Whitewash.
Background of the birth of this new American O.T.O.: History of the Solar Lodge of the O.T.O. — Charles Manson and the Occult.

Regarding Crowley's antidemocratic, racist and misanthropic writings, this O.T.O. points out: "The reason [...] aspects of Thelema are omitted [in public discussion] indicates the actual problem with presenting Thelema as a religion and attempting to get Thelema sanctioned by the government or approved by the public: Thelema is ultimately in contrast to and transgressive of normative society. Thelema rejects the morals and values of normative society and acts to transgress and violate these norms. From the inclusion of intoxicants in ritual, to the positive view of sexuality, which frequently is seen as promoting promiscuity, to the pro–authoritarian and Nietzschian aspects of Thelema, normative society has much to reject in Thelema and conversely, Thelema encourages its adherents to reject most aspects of normative society." See The Templar's Reich.

An e-mail correspondence between Peter-R. Koenig, Tyagi Nagasiva
(known as Fr. Nigris) and William Heidrick, Grand Treasurer General of
the Caliphate, on the subject of O.T.O. disputes.
The correspondence:

Preview of initiations, Constitution and later revisions / amendments, The E.G.U., The Caliphate E.G.C,
The office of the Caliph, The McMurtry "succession",
The Caliphate letters, Crowley's pun.

This three-way exchange which took place between August 19 and September 17, 1996 is valuable
because it involves William Heidrick, who in seniority may be reckoned third in the Caliphate
hierarchy after William Breeze (Hymenaeus Beta) and David Scriven (otherwise known as Frater
Sabazius X°). Heidrick is regarded as the Caliphate press secretary. Some say his job is to
'spin' the facts in way that is favorable to the interests of Breeze and his "O.T.O.".

Early days of the O.T.O., Theodor Reuss, Arnoldo Krumm-Heller,
The 1925 "election", The "Emergency", Powers of the IXth degrees, Kingdoms and Nationhood, Church of Thelema, "Bishop" Aleister Crowley, EGC: old expressions for a new religion?,
The Caliphate as anti-Crowley?, The Solar Lodge,
O.T.O., Caliphate and Freemasonry, Disabled members,
Loudness and the "secret society", Historical methods of archivists, Critical theory, Protofascistic elements, The "thought" argument, Mr Heidrick and his "facts", Wills and Testaments, Lawsuits, The electoral legacy of Grady McMurtry,
The New Caliphate, Double standards, Argenteum Astrum.

This correspondence, September 01, 1996 — November 29, 1996, was prompted by the posting of an earlier official history of the founding of the Caliphate O.T.O. by David
Scriven, "Sabazius", their Grand Master for North America — who as William Breeze [Hymenaeus Beta]'s
"X°" is effectively second in command in the hierarchy. This differed significantly in some
respects from P.-R. Koenig's chronology "Song of the Whitewash".

Heidrick about the Koenig-Scriven-correspondence; "In particular, I will not read or discuss
material stolen by Koenig in the case of letters of the US Xth degree, made public in violation of
copyright."